Easter attracts the wealthiest to Maldives

Some of the private jets parked at Velana International Airport - flight movements tend to increase significantly during holidays and festivals. | PHOTO: AVAS

Several notable wealthy entrepreneurs and business magnates along with their families had reached the island nation to celebrate their Easter holidays.

The Velana International Airport (VIA) currently has a total of 29 private jets parked in their aprons - all belonging to wealthy men and women from across the globe who have graced Maldives to celebrate the Easter in the country's resort slips.

While the flight movement had picked up significantly due to Easter holidays, earlier the movement had picked up to 644 at the international airport - during the new year celebration of 2018. For 2017 new year celebration the flight movement at VIA reached 560.

According to Tourism Ministry the total number of tourists who visited Maldives reached 1.3 million in 2017 and was expected to increase in 2018. However due to a 45 day stretching state of emergency decreed by incumbent president from February 5, the local tourism sector saw massive booking cancellations and severe drop in tourist figures.

Many trade pundits and experts of the field speculate the state of emergency in Maldives heavily contributed to the decline in tourist numbers and would affect the overall tourist visit to Maldives in 2018.